Sunday, September 7, 2008

Coonskin Debacle Continues...

Marc and I have both contacted the mayor of our fair city and his advice was for us to not "go off half cocked as that may alienate some people". He also stated that the decision to "donate" the city's only FREE skatepark for the World's Strongest Man competition was made by the Kanawha County Parks Board.Now, I'm definitely one for going off half cocked and alienating people. It's what I do. In the words of Michael Franti "But if I don't have enemies I'm not doin' my job, I might throw out a curve ball but I never be throwin' a lob, people criticize me but I know it's not the end, I try to kick the truth not just to make friends".As a skater who is Down For Life I can tell you that I have experienced my fair share of alienation and taken my fair share of ass kickings over the years. I've paid my dues. You see, there was a time when skateboarding was not accepted by the public like it is today. If you so much as looked like you might skate back in the day then there were some assholes who would want to stomp your ass. Most skaters today are too young to remember this time period and many of them think Guns N' Roses and Motley Crue are cool. Oh shit, did I just alienate some of you? Sorry for the digression but that is just the way things are and have been for years. If you were punk rock and rode a skateboard in the mid to late 1980's then you had to defend yourself. And here I am 20 plus years later still skating and staying true to my roots and feeling the HATE that straight society has for skateboarding.So, are Marc and I a couple of Don Quixote types "tilting at windmills"? Only time will tell. What I can tell you is that we have both submitted intelligent and well written letters to the editor of the local paper on behalf of the skaters of Coonskin Skatepark because in this Age of Quarrel my local skatepark and my soul are all that are worth saving.

Roll Forever

No comply off the block, 1989.

Philosophy

“I don’t want to see a Frito’s commercial with a skateboarder on it. It’s not in the spirit of skateboarding. We’re not supposed to be in the limelight. We’re supposed to be the scuttlebutt. We’re not supposed to be heroes. We’re supposed to be zeroes. If we look good, we look bad.”

Bill Danforth

"I don't care what people say about me. I'm just out there having fun..."